1. Field
Example embodiments relate to magnetic memory devices and methods of operating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-volatile information storage devices retain recorded information even when power is cut off. Conventional non-volatile information storage devices include hard disk drives (HDDs), non-volatile random access memories (RAMs), etc.
In general, HDDs wear down due to a rotating mechanic device included in the HDD and may possibly experience operational failures, thereby causing relatively low reliability.
A representative example of a non-volatile RAM is flash memory. Although flash memory does not use a rotating mechanical device, flash memory has relatively low reading and writing speeds, relatively short lifetimes, and smaller storage capacities than HDDs. Also, flash memory has relatively high manufacturing costs.
Another type of information storage device uses magnetic domain wall movement. A magnetic domain is a minute magnetic region of a ferromagnetic material in which magnetic moments are arranged in a specific direction. A magnetic domain wall is a border region between magnetic domains having different magnetization directions. Magnetic domains and magnetic domain walls are moved by supplying a current to a magnetic track. It is expected that an information storage device which has a relatively large storage capacity, but does not use a rotating mechanical device can be realized by using the movement of the magnetic domain and the magnetic domain wall.